John b



J. B. SEMPLE. I

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. 1918.

1,325,758. Patented De0.23,1919.

JOHN B. SEMPLE, 0'5 SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROJEC'IILE.

Application filed March 27, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. SEMPLE, residing at Sewickley, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to explosive projectiles, and has particularly to do with fuses for efiecting the detonation of the burster charges carried by such projectiles. In its broader aspects, my invention is applicable to various types of explosive projectiles regardless of their intended manner of being fired or put in fiight. For example, it is applicable alike to projectiles fired from a Irified gun, a smooth bore gun such as a trench mortar, or released from aircraft, etc.

The high-power detonating explosives now used as burster charges in projectiles are inert to ordinary shocks and require for their detonation the detonation of other bodies of explosive, called detonators, arranged in proximity to them. The materials, usually fulminate of mercury, of which the detonators are made are unstable compounds, sensitive to shock and friction, and hence dan' gerous lest, by reason of careless handling of the projectile or of other causes, they explode prematurely and consequently cause premature detonation of the burster charge.

Various means have been heretofore used for preventing the premature explosion of a detonator from detonating the burster charge. It is the primary object of my invention to provide specifically different means to such end, means which are simple in construction, certain in operation, and applicable to various types of explosive projectiles.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanyingsheet of drawings which form part of my specification. Both Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal central sectional views of the front end or nose of a projectile, Fig. 1 showing the normal arrangement of fuse elements, and Fig. 2 their positions at the instant of the projectiles functioning.

My invention is mainly, although not exclusively, predicated upon the difference in the actions of certain materials when they are detonated and when they are exploded or ignited. These materials, which include practically all of the aromatic nitro compounds, if arranged-in a continuous or sub stantIally continuous train and detonated at Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 23, 1919.

Serial No. 225,060.

one end, will transmit detonation throughout the entire train quite regardless of the number or character of directional changes in which the path of the train may lie, and regardless also of whether the train of material is ineased or otherwise confined or whether it is entirely exposed to the atmosphere. On the other hand, if one end of continuous train of such material is exploded or ignited (these terms being herein used synonymously as distinguished from the phenomenon of detonation), the explosion will be transmitted throughout the entire train only when the train lies in a substantially straight line path or when it is confined at all points of substantial directional change. In other words, if a train of such material, which includes in its extent an unconfined section at a point of directional change in its path, be exploded at one end, the explosion will be transmitted along such train to the unconfined section and will there be interrupted.

In the practice-of my invention in its pre ferred form, I provide, between the detonator and burster charge of a projectile, a train of detonation transmission of the character last described, a continuous train lying in a path having a point of directional change and being unconfined at such point. Cooperating with such train of detonation transmission, means are provided whereby the detonator, if prematurely exploded, will be effective only to explode the end of the train adjacent to it, but when the detonator explodes in its normal and intended manner either during or at the end of flight, its explosion will detonate the train of detonation transmission.

From the foregoing explanation of my invention, it will be readily seen that its practice may be effected within wide ranges and variations of details. In the specific embodiment shown herein, referring first to Fig. 1, the fuse structure is carried by a casing 1 attached to the nose of an explosive projectile 2, the cavity 3 of which is filled with a burster charge of detonating material such as tri-nitro-toluene. Adjacent to the burster charge, and within the fuse casing is a booster charge 4, .a second body of detonating material which may be considered as part of the burster charge 3.

The detonator 5, which may be a body of fulminate of mercury, is mounted within the fuse casing 1 in any desired manner, the

arrangement shown herein being presently explained. Between the detonator 5 and the burster charge 3, 1 there is arranged the above-described train of detonation transmission. While the form and location of such train is susceptible of wide variations, it may conveniently be in the form of two channels 6 and 7, leading, respectively, from the detonator 5 and the booster element 4 of the burster charge. These channels, the meeting point of which to ms a point of di rectional change in the train of detonation transmission, are joined together or made continuous at an opening 8 in the side of the fuse casing. The continuous train of material within the channels is preferably tetral but may be practically any of the aromatic nitro compounds. If desired a suitable paper or thin metal disk 9 may be provided to protect the otherwise exposed and unconfined section of the detonation transmitting train at the opening 8. However, this disk is not of suflicient strength or security to confine the train at this point in its directional change. In other words, such disk does not so confine the detonation train that, when the channel 6 is exploded by premature explosion of the detonator, such explosion will be transmitted to the channel 7.

The means shown herein for preventing a premature explosion of the detonator from detonating the train of detonation transmission are specifically adapted to projectiles fired from a rifled gun. Other means to this end may be provided for the same and other types of projectiles. In the form illustrated herein the body of detonation material is placed in the bottom of a cylindrical casing 10, longitudinally movable through a. bore formed in the outer end of the fuse casing. The casing 10, is, by means of a centrifugal bolt 11, normally held in a position wherein premature explosion of the detonator will not be effective to detonate the train of detonation transmission. Preferably this bolt, one end of which may close the upper end of the channel 6, lies in a runway oblique to the axis of rotation of the projectile, the arrangement being such that the obliquity of the runway and the inertia of the bolt will, during the acceleration period of the projectile in the bore of a gun, more than counterbalance the centrifugal force tending to remove the bolt. For holding the bolt in its indicated detonator-withholding position, a suitable resilient split ring 12 may engage the outer end of the bolt. This ring will, by the impact of firing the projectile, be set back to the position indicated in Fig. 2.

Referring again to the detonator shown herein, adjacent to the detonating material 5 there is' a suitable percussion cap 13 adapted to be fired by a hammer 14 having its outer end projecting beyond the end of impact will set back the split ring 12 to the V 7 position indicated in Fig. 2. During the acceleration period of the projectile the inertia of the bolt 11 and the obliquity of its runway to the axis of rotation of the projectile will prevent the bolt from being thrown outwardly until after the projectile has fully cleared the muzzle or" the gun, thus preventing a premature explosion of the detonator from causing a detonation of the projectile while within or adjacent to the muzzle of the gun. W hen the hammer at the nose of the projectile strikes, the pin 15 is first sheared, the hammer then, through its engagement with the bead 16 of the det onator casing 10, causes the detonator casing to be thrust to the bottom of its containing fuse-casing bore, and finally the bead 16 is sheared or otherwise destroyed and the hammer driven against the percussion cap 13 with the result that such cap is fired, the detonator thereby exploded, and in consequence of such explosion the train of detonation transmission is detonated, which in turn detonates the burster charge. In Fig. 2 the several parts of the projectile are indicated in the positions they occupy at the instant of detonatlon of the pro ectile.

In the normal arrangement of parts indicated in Fig. 1, the detonator is too tar re moved from the upper end of the channel 6 to detonate the material therein in of a premature accidental explosion of the detonator. However, such premature explosion of the detonator usually has the effect of either exploding the material in the channel 6 or of blowing it out of such channel, or of exploding it in part and blowing it out in part. Manifestly it is impossible to ascertain with precision the exact action. At all events it has been found that, due to the unconfined section of the train of detonation transmission and to its directional change at such point, the material is cleared from the channel 6 without exploding or otherwise affecting the portion of the train in the channel 7 and the train accordingly interrupted.

Viewing my invention diflerently, it will be observed that I have provided a projec tile or fuse structure wherein the train of detonation transmission is so arranged with respect to the detonator that in case the detonator becomes prematurely exploded there is an unresisted path of escape for the expansive gases whereby such gases will not become effective to detonate or ignite the train of detonation transmission.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle and operation of my invention together with one embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims my invention may be practised in numerous other forms of construction and in various other types of explosive projectiles, than that specifically shown and described.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an explosive projectile, the combination with a burster charge and a detonator, of a continuous train ofdetonation transmission between said charge and detonator, said train lying in a path having a point of directional change and including at such point an unconfined section affording a break in said train upon the ignition there of by premature explosion of said detonator.

2. In an explosiveprojectile, the combination with a burster charge and a deto nator, of a continuous train of detonation transmission between said charge and detonator, said train lying in a path having a point of directional cln nge and including at 'such point an unconfined section open to permit escape of expansive gases and affording a break in said train upon the ignition thereof by premature explosion of said detonator.

3. In an explosive projectile, the combi nation with a burster charge and a detonator, of a continuous train of detonation transmission between said charge and detonator, a portion of said train having an unrestricted path of escape for interrupting the train upon the premature explosion of the detonator.

In an explosive projectile, the combination with a burster charge and a detonator, of a continuous train of detonation transmission material between said charge and detonator, said train lying in a path having a point of directional change, and the portion of said train betweenfthe detonator and said point having an unrestricted path of escape for interrupting the train upon the premature explosion of the detonator.

5. In an explosive projectile, the combi nation with a burster charge and a deto nator, said projectile being provided with an outwardly exposed opening in its side and with channels leading from said 0pening to said burster charge and detonator, a continuous train of detonation transmitting material in said channels and adjacent to said opening, and means rendered ineffective upon the flight of the projectile for preventing a premature explosion of said detonator from detonating said train.

6. The combination with an explosive projectile, of a centrifugally movable locking bolt controlling the functioning thereof, said bolt lying in a runway oblique to the lon gitudinal axis of rotation of the projectile, the obliquity of said runway and the inertia of s, id member being effective to prevent said member from moving centrifugally during the acceleration period of the projectile in the bore of a gun.

7. The combination with an explosive pro" jectile, of a member movable from a nonfunctioning to a functioning position, a centrifugally movable locking bolt deterring the movement of said member to functioning position, said bolt lying in a runway oblique to the axis of rotation of the projectile, the obliquity of said runway and the inertia of said bolt being effective to prevent said member from moving centrifugally during the acceleration period of the pro ectile in the bore of a gun.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN B. SEMPLE.

Witnesses:

PAUL N. CRIToHLow, FRANCIS J. ToMAssoN. 

